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Accountability

Negativity in the Workplace

January 29, 2020 by Michelle Ray

Graphic title for Negativity in the Workplace

 

Does anyone truly enjoy working in a negative workplace? Negativity is one of the most destructive forces impacting the culture and atmosphere in numerous organizations. And when a leader demonstrates any signs of negativity, they may inadvertently be giving people permission to model what they see. It is a force that can quickly spread and has the capacity to unhinge creativity, professional relationships, morale, service to customers… the list is endless. Unfortunately, many people enjoy a good “pity party”. Perhaps this is because they are looking for a distraction from their work, or they lack awareness regarding the ramifications of buying into negative conversations. It is important for organizations to understand the impact of condoning negative mindsets. Ultimately, negativity feeds on itself, creating a destabilizing effect on team performance and productivity.

When an individual engages in negative communication, he or she is giving permission for negativity to become the norm. Remember, negativity feeds on itself the same way that positivity feeds on itself. The good news is that YOU can make the choice to either partake or abstain from contributing to negative energy by role modelling the exact opposite behaviours of  “doom and gloomers” and naysayers.

If you have found yourself in the midst of a “pity party”,  you may find it challenging to disengage without the appropriate tools and solutions. Those who are throwing the “party” may be oblivious to the harm they are causing by indulging in negative chit-chat. First, the impact can be highly toxic, no matter where the negative conversation is taking place. For the instigators, negative words have their origins in negative thoughts. Choosing to speak badly about others is a reflection of an individual’s character and dissatisfaction with his or her own lot in life. Unfortunately, such people often lack self -awareness and are not operating from a position of high self-esteem. It is important to deflect, disarm or disconnect from negativity for a variety of reasons including practicing self-care while establishing healthy boundaries. When you hear the following negative sequence: “This is really bad” followed by “I know, it couldn’t get any worse” and/or “it’s terrible” etc. consider the consequences to your own peace of mind and reputation if you choose to join in the conversation.

The best option is to counter negativity by setting a positive example. You can make a decision to manage negativity from a solution-orientated vantage point by taking the lead. You are not responsible for fixing the behaviour, although you may be in a position to address the problem. This is especially true when negative attitudes are affecting morale and productivity. You can always opt for the high road by keeping in mind what you can and cannot control. Focus your energy on encouraging positive activities in the workplace. i.e. connecting with likeminded peers who enjoy planning or participating in fun social gatherings, or pursuits that highlight peer achievements. Remember, all forms of energy can influence the atmosphere. The power of negativity is as powerful as the power of positivity.


This article is a partial transcript of a video on YouTube.

Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com

Filed Under: Accountability, Communication, employee engagement, Motivational Stories Tagged With: decision making, positivity, role modeling

Corporate Social Responsibility means you can’t ignore the Millennial Generation

August 14, 2019 by Michelle Ray

 

Cone Communications have found that 70% of millennials will spend more on a brand that they care about, and let’s remember that this is a generation that represents 2.5 trillion dollars worth of spending power.

So when you hear those numbers, think about what this means in terms of corporate social responsibility and how your brand needs to be connected to a purpose because this is very attractive to millennials, and it’s as attractive to the new generation entering the workforce, Generation Zed.

So what this means for you as an organization is to be cognizant of what we’re putting out there and realizing that this is an enormous opportunity and that when we go about creating a brand that is attractive to this upcoming generation who want to put their dollars into something that’s important to them, that is important for you to see it as a market to tap into but not just merely to tap into it but to show that you genuinely care about the brand and genuinely care about the fact that this is important to your workforce.

Remember, everything is under the microscope. Your reputation matters as an employer and also for your customers. We need to be able to have a customer-centric approach and an employee-centric approach to our brand.


This article is a transcript of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aSbrfrF8-k&feature=youtu.be on YouTube.

Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com

Filed Under: Accountability, Ahead of the Curve, Business, Millennials Tagged With: attractive brand, corporate social responsibility, reputation

Accountability Starts with You

August 2, 2019 by Michelle Ray

Leadership & accountability

Picture this: you’re now the executive producer of a movie, and your workplace is a movie set.

Every day you have a cast and crew show up. Their job is to create a “blockbuster”–a smash hit—so you have more customers, greater profitability, and increased success.

But then you hear them say things like:

“It’s not my job, I just work here,” or, “It’s not my responsibility.”

[Read more…] about Accountability Starts with You

Filed Under: Accountability, Leadership Tagged With: Accountability In The Workplace, leadership, Michelle Ray

Key Leadership Traits: The ability to Take Risks

January 31, 2019 by Michelle Ray

Leadership and Taking Risks

SHRM defined one of the most important competencies in leading organizations as taking risk. The ability to risk. Without question, we want to be conscious of taking calculated risk. There is a difference between taking extraordinary risk and taking calculated risks. What kind of a risk taker are you? If we don’t take risks, we simply stand still. Of course today, it’s impossible to move forward without taking some kind of risk. That involves of course being able to let go of the fear and trust yourself. Trust in who you have around you. Trust in your decisions. Trust in your decision-making ability that you are able to take that next step.

Some of the risks we take may seem overwhelming initially, but once you’ve taken that risk and you’ve lived to see the result, you realize that what you actually did will give you the energy to continue to take risks. Being a risk taker doesn’t necessarily mean you are the risk taker extraordinaire, but you have an ability to embrace your fears, move through them and take the next step to take the risk.


This article is a transcript from Key Leadership Traits: The ability to Take Risks YouTube.

Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com

Filed Under: Accountability, Adversity, Attitude, Business, Business Motivation, Change Management, Conflict, Diversity, economy, Leadership, Mindset, Motivation, Motivational Speakers, Perception, Self-Leadership Tagged With: business, entrepreneurship, leadership, leadership qualities, risk-taking, risks

Leading Self: Developing Adaptability

December 27, 2018 by Michelle Ray

Developing Adaptability

Leadership Competencies is all about honing your ability to be adaptable, to be flexible. Today, I would say more than any other time, we are seeing the pace of change accelerating and so of course, we need to be flexible. We need to be adaptable, and along with being adaptable, we need to be willing to be flexible. There is no room today to stand still.

So, how adaptable are you to move with the pace of change, to recognize that things are happening outside of yourself faster than you can even imagine, faster than your business can even keep up with at times. So, if you are willing to be adaptable, and if you are willing to remain flexible, then you are in a position to teach other to do the same. You are in a position to be able to transcend change and you are able to remain on top of ever changing business dynamics and where your customers are going.

So, remaining flexible, is that you? Remaining adaptable, is that you? Because that is what we need to do as one of the core competencies to lead yourself.


This article is a transcript from Leading Self: Developing Adaptability YouTube.

Michelle Ray (Twitter) is one of the best international leadership keynote speakers in Vancouver. She helps you discover your potential through presentations, coaching and consulting. With over 20 years of experience Michelle has worked with hundreds of companies around the world. She is taking bookings for speaking engagements and can be contacted at MichelleRay.com

Filed Under: Accountability, Adversity, Attitude, Business Motivation, change, Change Management, Leadership, overcoming adversity, Passionate Leadership, personal leadership, Positive Mindset, positive thinking, resiliency, Self-Leadership Tagged With: adaptability, Change, developing adaptability, leadership

How To Increase Employee Accountability

July 27, 2017 by Michelle Ray

How do you increase employee accountability? Despite the efforts of well-intended HR departments and leaders to create clearly defined job descriptions, confusion persists regarding specific roles and responsibilities in almost every industry, public sector, as well enterprises of all sizes and descriptions. When mistakes are made, deadlines are missed, or communication goes haywire, the blame game, finger-pointing and excuse-making escalates.

Any of these scenarios beg the question: “Who is responsible?” [Read more…] about How To Increase Employee Accountability

Filed Under: Accountability, Business, Employee Motivation, Workplace Culture Tagged With: How to build accountability at work, Keynote Speakers Canada, Michelle Ray, Workplace Culture

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